we had the super committee that failed, now we have the fiscal cliff, right? and if those sorts of deadlines aren't enough to get a deal, if you actually were -- were going to break with your own party or say go ahead, we'll extend them for the middle class, do you actually think that you would be able to negotiate a deal where they didn't go up on the top 2% at the beginning of the year? >> you might be able to negotiate that deal. again, i think a lot of people misunderstand, you know, what's happening with the 98%. number one, i don't think you ever ought to use the american people as, quote, leverage in a debate. that's a mistake. you don't treat people that way. second, much more importantly, it's not our leverage. it's the democrats' leverage. they're the ones going around, hollering, oh my goodness, taxes are going to go up on everybody unless we do something. let's just take that leverage away from them. our real leverage are the spending cuts which democrats don't want to make, and ultimately further on down the debt ceiling. >> so let me ask you thou